“Lena!”

A clear, ringing command cut through the curse I had just swallowed. The voice sounded as though it were reprimanding me for my insolent attitude.

“It’s morning.”

“…”

“I suppose it can’t be helped. I’m coming in.”

“…”

The end of our childish bickering always played out like this. That much, at least, hadn’t changed from before. The door would open, cold air would rush in, and I would pull the blanket up. The only difference was that the person who entered let out an irritated sigh.

“Haa…”

“…”

“Lena. You don’t have time to be lazing about like this.”

“…Just five more minutes. Please?”

“Do you really think that’s going to work?”

I tried whining out of habit, but her voice was unwaveringly firm. This was a first—my shoulders flinched before I even realized it. Back when I was trapped in the Annex building, no one would have dared speak to me like this. And before the collapse, there had been someone who used to wake me up gently.

But now I was in the Academy’s main building, and that someone had gone somewhere else. There was no point in stupidly denying reality any longer—I’d only be hurting myself. In the end, what slipped from my lips was a feeble declaration of surrender.

“Fine. I’m getting up.”

“Hurry up, Lena.”

“Okay.”

This was bullshit. Her pushy attitude, that voice dripping with condescension. And the fact that I couldn’t even resist any of it was even more bullshit.

Embracing my disgust, I forced my heavy body upright, and the sight of Roselia standing by the doorway came into view. Even in a situation like this, her face remained as elegant as befitting a noble. The contrast between her and me—having just woken up with messy hair and swollen eyes—couldn’t have been starker.

It must be the makeup. Putting on airs.

Just yesterday, I’d felt nothing but gratitude toward her, but at least for now, that sentiment was nowhere to be found. The uncertain promise of survival was far less irritating than the morning sunlight hitting me right now.

Of course, I had no intention of letting any of that show. So I got up from the bed as meekly as I possibly could.

“Good morning, Roselia.”

“That’s quite a brazen response for someone who just overslept. But I actually like that. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. Thanks to you.”

I glanced down at my bedding as I answered. A musty-smelling bed in a cramped staff duty room. Even as an empty pleasantry, it would’ve been hard to call it nice.

But in this situation, it might as well have been a luxury hotel suite. Plus, I had it all to myself. Just a week ago, I’d had to fall asleep listening to the sounds of a few idiots secretly masturbating.

Roselia, seemingly taking my gratitude at face value, nodded with satisfaction. Then, in a somewhat imperious tone, she offered what sounded more like a command than a suggestion.

“I’m glad. Why don’t you go wash up quickly? There should be a bathroom in the back. Everything you need will be in there.”

“I’m surprised we have time to wash up. I thought things were tight.”

“Well, things are tight. But it’s still better to take a little extra time than to walk around looking like that. If you don’t keep yourself presentable, people might get the wrong idea.”

“What kind of idea?”

“You’ll find out soon enough anyway. Do you really need to hear it right now?”

Hearing that, I had a rough idea of what she meant and kept my mouth shut. Roselia chuckled and nodded.

“Don’t worry too much. As long as you stay by my side, there won’t be any problems. So make yourself look pretty and come out. Miss Lena, top of the year.”

“Understood. I’ll be out soon.”

“Oh, and tidy up the room before you come out. Every little thing like this affects your dignity, you know? So please be careful.”

“…Okay.”

“Then I’ll be waiting outside.”

“…”

Soon, the door closed, and a lonely shadow slipped through the gap. I silently lowered my gaze to the floor of the room. Dust and trash scattered about. Then the mess of blankets caught my eye, one after another.

After taking in those sights, the reality of my circumstances flooded my mind. A filthy room that no one would clean for me anymore. A high-ranking noble issuing commands above my head as if she owned the place. An Academy environment where I couldn’t even walk around on my own.

And myself, firmly relegated to the position of the subordinate.

Each one scraped roughly at my throat, leaving behind a bitter aftertaste.

“…Ugh.”

As I reflected on my situation, a sharp pain spread across my lips. I must have been biting them without realizing. A bad habit I hadn’t indulged in since my teenage years was now relapsing.

Remembering that fact nearly sent me spiraling into depression again. But I slapped both my cheeks and steadied myself.

“No.”

The word I uttered was a rebuttal to my own thoughts. Still, compared to most, I was actually among the better-off ones in the Academy right now. I had a room I could sleep in alone. I had someone to protect me. I was in a position that no one could mess with carelessly.

Besides, I had been chosen. As one of the few talents who would survive this apocalypse.

Recalling that fact put my mind somewhat at ease. Right. I was going to survive. I would go to the Land of Elves and survive to the very end.

Unlike you.

Who the last thought was directed at, even I couldn’t say. No—I did know, but I quickly denied it. Shaking off the lingering thoughts, I stepped into the bathroom. The sensation of cold water droplets tickled the tips of my toes.

“…That was reasonably fast. Good job, Lena.”

“Thanks.”

“And you look especially pretty today. Almost enough to make me jealous.”

Praise came pouring out the moment I stepped out of the room. But there was absolutely no sincerity behind it. Only the faint scent of a carrot dangled before a stallion to break it in.

The two men standing beside Roselia, however, sent a different kind of look my way. There was no hypocrisy in the way their gazes licked over my body from head to toe. If anything, it felt like I could tell exactly what they were thinking just by meeting their eyes.

That was exactly why it was all the more revolting. I shook off their stares and moved closer to Roselia.

“Just the two of them? There were three yesterday.”

“Well, there’s no need to drag around more people than necessary. From now on, we should only stick with the people we truly need. Right, Baron?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah. Of course.”

“See? Dependable as always. Thank you.”

Roselia flashed a sweet smile and kissed the cheek of the large man standing beside her. Even that simple bit of skinship drew a blissful expression from him, while the other man stared at Roselia with the face of a puppy expecting a treat. That single scene was enough to tell me exactly how she had these two wrapped around her finger.

So even a noble had to sell her body in a situation like this. A cynical sneer naturally followed that cheap assumption.

“So? Where are you taking me, Roselia? Do you have a destination?”

“Would telling you actually help you understand anything? But if you must know, it’s the Student Council Room.”

“Why there? Are you going to see Erika?”

“More importantly, there’s equipment in there that can contact the mainland. I was planning to go first thing in the morning, but we’re running a bit late. It might cause some trouble.”

“…I’m sorry. I should’ve hurried more.”

“If you’re sorry, then hurry up and follow me. No more dawdling.”

This time, instead of encouragement, I got a reprimand. For a carrot-and-stick approach, it was a remarkably crude way of speaking. Whether Roselia was conscious of that or not, she began striding toward the hallway with haughty steps. Behind her, the Academy’s landscape—greeted for the first time in two months—began to reveal itself.

At first glance, not much seemed to have changed. The firmly shut classrooms. The corridors stained with saliva and bodily fluids. The windows caked with dried blood. It was all exactly as it had been when I fled this place. With no one left to clean up and only villains remaining, the Academy was slowly rotting away.

But no matter where I looked along the corridors, there was no sign of the ones responsible for turning the Academy into this. In a way, it was obvious. Last night had been intense for everyone, so it wasn’t surprising that they were still lost in sleep. Indeed, snoring could be heard from behind the closed classrooms here and there.

And once all those sleeping fiends woke up, the hellish landscape would begin in earnest. Roselia’s words about needing to hurry probably meant exactly that.

Then again, where were all the people who’d been captured? The question crossed my mind, but I quickly erased it. It had nothing to do with me anymore. To think about something more constructive, I asked in a quiet voice.

“Where’s the Student Council Room, Roselia?”

“Just one floor up from here. But why do you ask? Sounds like someone’s getting anxious now.”

“Just wondering. I want to get there quickly.”

“Well… don’t worry. It won’t take long. For now, just walk quietly.”

“Okay.”

I nodded meekly. As she said, all I needed to do right now was stay quiet. The Academy’s malice hadn’t awakened yet.

But that didn’t mean everyone was asleep.

“Miss Lena!!!”

“…!!!”

Just as I was letting my guard down, a hand suddenly shot out from the bathroom beside me and grabbed my ankle. I nearly screamed in terror but barely managed to clap a hand over my mouth.

Soon, from the fading darkness, a battered girl peeked her face out. Her hair was so disheveled—like a ghost’s—that I couldn’t tell who she was, but the cigarette burns covering her body were vividly visible.

It looked as though insects had been eating away at her entire body. Without needing much imagination, it was easy enough to guess what had been done to her. The girl, having locked eyes with me, slowly parted her lips.

And then she began to giggle like a madwoman.

“Eh…hehehe…uh-heh…uh-hehe…”

“…”

“It’s Miss Lena…pretty Miss Lena…really pretty Miss Lena…”

“What…”

“Miss Lena, wanna come in for a bit? Ehehe…heh…we don’t have enough people so it’s not our turn yet, Miss Lena. Just come in for a bit. Please?”

A flicker of madness glinted in her unfocused eyes. Her face looked as though she were drunk on something, lost in a dream. The girl tittered meaninglessly for a while before finally stringing together words I could understand.

“There’s four of us but there’s six dicks. It’s too many. If only Miss Lena comes, the numbers will match. Uh-heh…it’d be just right. Then we could rest a little. If only Miss Lena comes.”

“…Let go.”

“You need it too, Miss Lena. I saw you masturbating in the corner that time. You get really wet so people will like you. Really, if only Miss Lena comes, it’d be perfect. Really…”

“Ah…fuck.”

At that moment, crude curses spilled from deep within the bathroom. And then another hand shot out and grabbed the girl by the hair.

“What a pain in the ass. How many times is this now?”

“Ah-heh…heh…I found someone. Now one person doesn’t have to suck two. It’s just right.”

“Right, my ass. Even if that bitch comes, that’s five. We’re six. That’s one short.”

“No, it is right…I counted with my fingers…one, two, three, four, five…six…”

The girl stared at her hand, then folded an invisible sixth finger. Then she looked up at us with a puzzled expression. The faint smell of gas wafted from her lips.

The man, apparently annoyed by the sight, hurled her inside by the hair he was gripping. Soon, the sound of something breaking echoed as skin struck the floor. But what followed wasn’t a scream—it was laughter.

“Aah…ah…heh…ehehe…”

“What the fuck are you staring at. You want to get fucked?”

“…”

“…Oh, what’s this. It’s Roselia.”

The man, who had been glaring at me with a menacing face, suddenly shifted his gaze toward Roselia. Then he spat on the floor and spoke.

“Fuck off. If you’ve got no business.”

“That was the plan. Let’s go, Lena.”

“Okay…”

I maintained the calmest expression I could as I fell in behind her. The man watched us for a moment before crawling back into the darkness. Only after we’d walked for a while did Roselia quietly open her mouth.

“That’s why I was in a hurry. Because things like this happen.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll wake up early from now on.”

“I hope you do. Up there ahead is the Student Council Room.”

At her words, I lifted my head and caught sight of a large nameplate that read “Student Council Room.” It seemed to have various graffiti on it, but I couldn’t focus on that right now. The sweat from where my ankle had been grabbed was evaporating coldly in the shape of fingerprints.

“Is no one there yet? I hope that’s the case. Baron? Could you open the door?”

“Yeah. Got it.”

At Roselia’s instruction, the man named Baron loyally approached the door. But no matter how hard he pulled the handle, the door wouldn’t open.

“Uh…I think it’s locked. Should I try forcing it?”

“No. Erika should be inside anyway. She’s probably still sleeping.”

This time, Roselia stepped up to the door. Then, with her characteristically clear voice, she called out toward the inside.

“Erika? It’s me, Roselia. Are you still asleep?”

“…”

“Open the door, Erika. It’s me.”

“…”

“Haa…seriously. Why is everyone so sleepy.”

While she grumbled, I looked around, growing anxious. Something didn’t feel right. My chest was tightening for no reason.

Then, something piled up along one side of the corridor caught my eye. At first, I thought it was just trash, but looking closer, it was a rather odd thing to find in a place like this.

“Floor mops…?”

“What? Are you talking to me right now?”

“No…there’s a whole pile of them over there. Aren’t those floor mops?”

“Hm?”

Roselia, who had snapped irritably like a thief whose feet were numb, finally turned her gaze to where I was pointing. Just as I’d said, there was a whole pile of floor mops.

To be precise, floor mops with only the head portions remaining.

The dozens of mops piled up all had their handles missing. It looked as though someone had broken them off to use just the handles. What they intended to use those handles for was impossible to know at this point.

But I had a pretty good idea of where those handles were right now. Roselia seemed to have had the same thought—her eyes darted to the same place mine did. Soon, our gazes locked onto the Student Council Room door.

Only then did I notice what had been graffitied onto the Student Council Room nameplate. Only a few letters from the original nameplate had been erased and a single stroke added, but it was more than enough to amplify the dread.

[ Restroom ]

“…Erika. Open the door.”

Roselia’s voice shot toward the door once more. This time, a trace of anxiety laced it.

“Erika. It’s me.”

“…”

“…Erika?”